"Already the transfer of the year" - Patrick Lefevere heaps praise on Soudal-Quickstep signing amid Giro d'Italia success
Cycling
Soudal-Quickstep found themselves a game-changer in the transfer market over the off-season and it's one that has helped bring Paul Magnier to the next level with three stage wins in this Giro d'Italia as he hunts another in Rome.
That's according to former CEO Patrick Lefevere at least, who described their signing of classics star Jasper Stuyven as the best piece of business in the cycling transfer market, with the Belgian a crucial lead-out man for Magnier in his sprint successes the past three weeks.
Quickstep and Lefevere are no longer officially affiliated, but the legendary team boss travelled out to his visit his former ranks and had high praise for Stuyven and even went as far as to tell the 34-year-old himself.
Stuyven arrived from Lidl-Trek as a big-name addition as the team re-adjusted to life after the departure of Remco Evenepoel. A consistent spring performer, he notched top tens in Milano SanRemo and the Tour of Flanders before an impressive third in Paris Roubaix.
Stuyven helps Soudal-Quickstep to Giro victories
“For me, Jasper is already the transfer of the year, and I have told him that as well. What he has already meant to Magnier in this Giro is worth its weight in gold. Now that he is riding for us, it really stands out how important he is,” Lefevere said.
He praised the closeness of the team after their victories, adding: “During my visit to the Giro, I was able to see how close-knit the group is. And Jasper Stuyven played a decisive role in that.”
Despite Magnier's wins, he's still second behind Tim Merlier in the team's sprinter hierarchy, with the veteran Belgian primed for the Tour de France after two victories in France last summer.
Historically a sprinting and classics outfit, Lefevere highlighted his focus on sprinting when he was calling the shots and how he expects Merlier to now take the baton in the Tour.
He added: “I have always ensured that we had a top sprinter in the team, because sprinters provide stability. Paul is proving that now in the Giro. The next series of wins should be one with Merlier in the Tour.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin is wuite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
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